Latest
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Vibe coding brought back my love for programming
When so much of the media is steeped in anti-vibe coding rhetoric, it can be easy to forget the joy found in programming this way.
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“Vibe hacking” signals seismic shift for engineering leaders
Blackhat hackers have an addition to their armoury. Here’s how engineering leaders can safeguard their systems and stay on high alert.
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Where staff+ engineers can move the needle
As you become more senior in your role, the pressure to expand your impact grows. Here are some ways to get the ball rolling.
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AI coding trackers are here. Proceed with caution
Companies are finally starting to track AI usage within their engineering orgs. Should we be worried or remain cautiously optimistic?
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4 ways to manage the lows of leadership
Any well-seasoned leader will know that it’s not always an easy journey. The key is to tackle the low moments with the right approach.
Editor’s picks
What is a staff engineer? Technical leaders who aren’t managers
Staff engineers are technical leaders who have deep domain knowledge, walking the line between tech and the business.
Berlin • Nov 3 & 4, 2025
Charity Majors, Sam Newman, and Humera Noor confirmed for LeadDev Berlin! 🙌
Essential reading
Who are staff, principal, and distinguished engineers?
Understand the differences between staff, principal, and distinguished engineers. Job description and salaries included.
On our StaffPlus playlist
How to master the four Staff archetypes and elevate your impact
While the specifics of the job can vary widely, Will Larson has famously categorized the Staff+ experience into four archetypes: Tech Lead, Architect, Solver, and the Right Hand.
Understanding the role as a Staff engineer
How to define, develop and deliver in your role on the technical track.
How to balance technical direction and leadership work
But as is often the case in business, priorities constantly shift and where you focus your efforts will too. So how do you strike the right balance between working on the technical direction of the business and those tasks that require you to put your leadership hat on?
Start with an exit in mind: How to be effective by being selfish as a staff engineer
Staff engineers often get overwhelmed by long-term ownership of critical projects. This talk explores how to avoid burnout by starting every project with an exit strategy—whether transferring ownership, pausing or bootstrapping a team.
The conference for engineering leaders shaping the future of software
Berlin • November 3 & 4, 2025
Featuring
More for Staff engineers
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How AI will change software engineering
No one can agree how AI will change software engineering. Here’s how to prepare anyway.
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7 principles for balancing agility and durability
Engineering is a game of trade-offs – move fast and break things, or build slow and last forever? Know when to do which.
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Be the best ally to your business development team
As a staff+ engineer, being the bridge between engineering and the business development team isn’t always straightforward.
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The 6 warning signs of overengineering
How to look for the signs of overengineering in software, why it happens, and how to prevent unnecessary complexity to build maintainable systems.
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How AI generated code compounds technical debt
“I don’t think I have ever seen so much technical debt being created in such a short period of time”
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How DeepSeek upended everything
The Chinese AI model has called into question a whole host of assumptions for the tech industry.
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Factorio and the promise of better software engineering
Just why is the complex factory-building video game so appealing to software developers and can it help them get better at their jobs?
Videos for Staff engineers
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Leading through AI-powered complexity: Balancing business priorities, innovation and resources
João Freiras discusses how leaders are automating through complexity and finding the right balance between the pressure to innovate, business priorities, resources, and the promise of AI business value.
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Stress free onboarding as a Staff+ engineer
What can you do to create an efficient onboarding process for yourself stepping into a Staff+ role?
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Why observability needs to be treated as critical infrastructure
In this talk, I’ll discuss how I worked with my ICs to develop a space where the use of metrics felt less intimidating and more like a valuable tool for growth.
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How do you effectively manage senior ICs?
What does a good manager and direct report relationship look like for ICs?
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AI and the future of software engineering
Hywel Carver talks focuses on the shape of engineering teams and how they work – including how they have changed over time with the advent of Agile and DevOps – and suggest how this will change as AI-generated code becomes mainstream.
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Understanding the role as a Staff engineer
How to define, develop and deliver in your role on the technical track.
